Moonsigns  |  Band Guide  |  Blogs  |  In Pictures  |  Adult
Boston  |  Portland  |  Providence
 
Music
CD Reviews  |  Download  |  Live Reviews  |  Music Features  |  New England Music News

9th Wonder and Buckshot

The Formula | Duckdown
By BEN WESTHOFF  |  April 22, 2008
4.0 4.0 Stars
080425_9th_main
Although the term is often bandied about, 9th Wonder has become a true super-producer in recent years, working with everyone from Murs to Mary J. Blige. The Formula, his second collaboration with Boot Camp Clik rapper Buckshot, confirms his standing as underground hip-hop’s premier beat maker as it completes his evolution from a singles-focused lazy Sunday soul sampler to a hard-banging album crafter. The pair’s first collaboration, Chemistry, and 9th’s recent solo album, The Dream Merchant, Volume 2, may have had golden-era flavors to them, but there’s nothing nostalgic or soft here. While creating the songs together at 9th’s North Carolina studio, they tore up the playbook; “Ready (Brand New Day)” and “Just Display” seize onto hard, infectious hooks and don’t let go. Buckshot is in fine form as well, merging his street persona with his backpacker persona — that’s “the formula,” he says. The record bursts with energy and purpose, revealing the brilliance that advocates like the Roots’ ?uestlove have long suspected 9th had in him.
Related:
  Topics: CD Reviews , Underground Hip-Hop , Entertainment , Hip-Hop and Rap ,  More more >
  • Share:
  • RSS feed Rss
  • Email this article to a friend Email
  • Print this article Print
Comments

Live from St. Paul: real-time updates at thePhoenix.com/Election2008
More: DNC 2008
ARTICLES BY BEN WESTHOFF
Share this entry with Delicious
  •   SAY WHAT?!  |  September 02, 2008
    East Coast Avengers wrong the right with ‘Kill Bill O’Reilly’
  •   THE CALL OF THE WILD  |  July 28, 2008
    Wolf Parade get instinctual
  •   THE SILENT RAPPER  |  July 21, 2008
    What the hell has Rakim been up to?
  •   GREEN INITIATIVE  |  July 21, 2008
    Hip-hop’s heads go on Wale watch
  •   WOLF PARADE  |  June 24, 2008
    At Mount Zoomer | Sub Pop

 See all articles by: BEN WESTHOFF

MOST POPULAR
RSS Feed of for the most popular articles
 Most Viewed   Most Emailed 
HOT TOPICS
 More Topics . . .
LATEST SLIDESHOWS

All Slideshows



Featured Articles in CD Reviews:
071214_help_list

Boxed and ready

The cream of the season’s CD/DVD crop
list_gumbay

Cult Cargo

Grand Bahama Goombay | Numero
070406_list_kaiser

Kaiser Chiefs

Yours Truly, Angry Mob | Universal
070302_list_dean

Dean and Britta

Back Numbers | Zoë/Rounder
070223_list_elvisperkins

Elvis Perkins

Ash Wednesday | XL
Sunday, September 07, 2008  |  Sign In  |  Register
 
thePhoenix.com:
Phoenix Media/Communications Group:
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
Copyright © 2008 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group